Harbaugh on the bye week, Packers, Kaepernick

Green Bay --- So you thought Jim Harbaugh would suddenly open up the vault? Right.

The San Francisco 49ers coach dished out high praise for the Green Bay Packers on his conference call with Wisconsin reporters today. The former Michigan quarterback recalled coach Bo Schembechler -- in speaking about an opponent -- telling the team, "These guys are good, but they're not the Green Bay Packers for God sakes." Harbaugh also said the Packers have been "the best team in football over the last handful of years."

Beyond that, there wasn't too much information coming out of San Francisco. Here are a few highlights:

On the bye-week goals: "Wanted to rest their minds. Rest their bodies. And we came back to review specific things we thought we could fix and get better at, striving to get at least one percent better. And then preparation for the three teams we could have possibly played. And then after we knew it would be Green Bay, all of our attention shifted to the Packers and our preparation to this week."

On if the 42-13 loss at Seattle was a wake-up: "I don’t know about that. I don’t know how I’d characterize it."

On how Colin Kaepernick has improved at the line of scrimmage: "He’s improved in, I would say, all phases, really. Not dramatically, though, because I think he was good to start with. Some of the early snaps that he got at the beginning of the season – he got in that game in Green Bay and he got in games, spot play, but he was good then. Once he started, he was already good but definitely I think across the board he’s improved. Not dramatically but to some degree in just about every area."

On if the 49ers dominated Green Bay physically in Week 1: "No. I agree that we won the game but dominated? No, I wouldn’t categorize it as that."

On his concerns with the Packers: "A lot of things. I think they’ve consistently been the best team in football over the last handful of years. They’re extremely well-coached, well-prepared. Dom Capers, I have the utmost respect for his ability to coach and teach a high volume of scheme to his players. They have the ability to blow up plays in your backfield. Rarely are they out of position and it’s hard to predict what they’re going to play schematically from down to down. Offensively, special teams, this is consistently the best team in football over the last handful of years."

On how David Akers has responded to the 49ers' kicking competition: " Like a football player."

On if he can give Kaepernick advice as a QB who played in the playoffs: "All football related. Keep it at about that. We really need every minute to prepare the Packers’ defense. So, that’s where all the advice is centered around."

About Tyler Dunne

Tyler Dunne covers the Green Bay Packers. He has been on the beat since 2011, winning awards with the Pro Football Writers of America and Milwaukee Press Club.